Experts say this year’s Health Day theme is in tandem with issues India is grappling with
The World Health Day was marked on April 7 with this year’s theme being Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere which aims to ensure that essential healthcare services do not cause financial distress to individuals. Experts have opined that this year’s theme is perfectly in tandem with the dismal state of health care in India as the rural population grapples with respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, malaria and various other health hazards, as reported by The Health Site.
Most of the economically backward classes are dwindling with health care institutions located far away from their villages or the huge cost incurred as curative expenses as they dig big holes in their pockets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Health Protection Scheme (NPHS), which is popularly known as ‘Modicare’, launched during the Union budget of 2018-19, aims to give health insurance to 10 crore poor families. The Modicare scheme will be providing Rs 5 lakh insurance cover to each family per year in secondary and tertiary care institutions which is in lieu with this year’s theme. According to Bloomberg Quint, India plans to spend about Rs 16,717 crore in the first two years on the free health insurance programme.
The Health Budget in 2018 did announce a few policies as a starting step but the government should also focus on universal health insurance scheme so that everyone could benefit from the same. A policy for Holistic care which is universally accessible will help make healthcare affordable and at the same time help reduce the burden of operating expenses on health care institutes,” Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO of Wadia Hospitals told the Health Site.
Furthermore, as diabetes is on the rise in India, Dr Pradeep Gadge, a leading diabetologist told The Health Site, “We are nowadays seeing an explosion of NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases). Unfortunately, most NCDs are lifelong adding to the expenses. I feel there should be a balance between investment in primary health care and prevention measures versus tertiary care in hospitals and treatment services to find the most cost-effective and sustainable approach.”
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